Minnesota Democrats Exposed » Barack Obama

COLEMAN CALLS OUT OBAMA ON IGNORING CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

Andy Post — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:53:37 +0000

President Obama’s non-recess recess appointment today of Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau set off a firestorm of protests in Washington and around the country.

For those of you keeping score at home, the President not only appointed a man to an position unaccountable to Congress, but he did so through an unprecedented non-recess recess appointment. The Senate is in session currently, but to avoid the transparent confirmation hearing, the President once again stepped on the Constitution.

Former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman, now Chairman of the American Action Network, wrote the following blog, echoing the chorus of outrage emanating from red-blooded Americans across the country today:

“President Obama’s decision to appoint Richard Cordray to the head of the so-called ‘Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’ without seeking Congressional approval is beyond the pale. The decision to bypass Congress, simply to accumulate greater power within the White House, is frightening and unprecedented. The President’s abuse of power has reached new heights with his actions, and it underscores his belief that he is above the laws of the land and accountable to no person, institution or, for that matter, the Constitution. This raw play for power, does not advance the case for job creation in America, or standing up for the rights of the hard working middle class of America. It is, however, further evidence that this President seeks power for his own purposes, not to serve and improve the lives of the people of the United States of America.”

As the Senator put it, the President seems determined to grab as much power as possible.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Barack Obama

HOLIDAY BUST: MAJOR DFL DONOR SUSPECTED OF NEARLY $300K IN FRAUD

Andy Post — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 19:41:29 +0000

Longtime progressive activist and donor Jason Sheedy was moving from his St. Paul home to a Minneapolis condo in 2007 when he reported to his insurance company that nearly $300,000 worth of his artwork and historical treasures were suddenly stolen. His insurance company wrote him a check for nearly all of the losses he claimed in 2008, but last May, Sheedy mysteriously listed some of the same pieces on an online auction site for sale. That’s when the FBI moved in.

According to the Star Tribune, investigators entered Sheedy’s home this month on a federal search warrant only to find many of the “stolen” pieces still in his possession. Sheedy has not yet been charged, but investigators say evidence has been found of mail and wire fraud as well.

Sheedy and former Pres. Jimmy Carter via CarterCenter.org

Within the last five years, Sheedy has made major contributions (some listed below) to some of Minnesota’s finest DFL leaders, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Tim Walz, Sen. Al Franken, Maureen Reed, Patty Wetterling, and the Obama for America fund.

Contribution records via CQ Moneyline

Will Senator Klobuchar set an example for the rest of the recipients of Sheedy’s funds and return his fraudulent donations and/or donate the contributions to her favorite charity?

Tags: 2012 Election, Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar, Barack Obama, Patty Wetterling, Star Tribune

MANKATO ‘GREEN’ RECYCLING CO. GOES BROKE AFTER TAKING MILLIONS IN MN AND FEDERAL STIMULUS

Andy Post — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:31:03 +0000

Mankato’s KEYC FOX affiliate aired a very interesting story about a local recycling company that has received millions in federal subsidies and government-backed loans, only to go bankrupt within months. Call it a Minnesota version of Solyndra.

Here’s part of the story:

In the spring of 2010, Genesis Poly went belly up. And with it went Mankato’s money. Along with a $100,000 loan from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and another $7.44 million through a loan with U.S. Bank… 70% of which was backed by the Department of Agriculture.

Genesis Poly was in talks with the Minnesota USDA well before they went to U.S. Bank, and small government advocates are saying the USDA’s involvement could have played a role in U.S. Bank’s willingness to throw money at Genesis Poly.

David Strom, a policy fellow at the Minnesota Free Market Institute says, “There’s an implicit sense of Too Big To Fail. If the government is in, they’re going to keep throwing money at it. It looks like a less risky way to spend your money. You don’t even have to look at the books, ’cause it doesn’t matter. Government is going to back you up.”

But perhaps the most disappointing aspect of this whole story: this isn’t the first time Genesis Poly has gone bankrupt.

Tags: Barack Obama

NAMED: FORMER FRANKEN AIDE IS WHITE HOUSE STAFFER THAT LOST IT WITH REPORTER OVER SOLYNDRA

Andy Post — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:29:33 +0000

Eric Schultz, a former aide to Senator Al Franken is playing a small role in the ongoing Solyndra scandal that is plauging the Obama Administration. Schultz, whom one reporter called the Franken campaign’s “chief purveyor of skullduggery“, reportedly screamed at one CBS investigative reporter looking in to the President’s role in the now-bankrupt company that received millions in tax payer dollars.

From the Weekly Standard:

Ingraham: So they were literally screaming at you?

Attkisson: Yes. Well the DOJ woman was just yelling at me. The guy from the White House on Friday night literally screamed at me and cussed at me. [Laura: Who was the person? Who was the person at Justice screaming?] Eric Schultz. Oh, the person screaming was [DOJ spokeswoman] Tracy Schmaler, she was yelling not screaming. And the person who screamed at me was Eric Schultz at the White House.”

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Barack Obama

FACING SINKING APPROVALS WITH NO NEW ECONOMIC IDEAS, OBAMA HEADS TO MIDWEST FOR CAMPAIGN TRIP

Andy Post — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:03:56 +0000

Mitt Romney’s campaign released the following video regarding Pres. Obama’s visit to Minnesota:

President Barack Obama will visit Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois on a three day Midwest “listening tour” beginning Monday morning in Cannon Falls, MN. He will visit Iowa after Minnesota, and end in Illinois. Obama’s visit will include both air and bus travel for him and hundreds of staffers, security and press at a cost to U.S. and Minnesota taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Photo via Sandrarose.com

The White House continues to insist that the trip is part of official business for the President because he will be listening to people on the economy and speaking about jobs. He has, however, made it clear he will offer no new initiatives in any speeches on the tour. Obama’s visit comes as unemployment remains above 9% nationwide, and he faces the tough news by the Federal Reserve that the economic recovery will take several years.

Since Obama took office, 51,000 Minnesotans have lost their jobs and 125,000 in his home state of Illinois.

The MNGOP’s Chair Tony Sutton will hold a counter rally in Cannon Falls on Monday morning with RNC Chair Reince Priebus.

New Gallup poll numbers show Obama’s approval ratings have reached an all-time low of 39%.

Tags: Barack Obama, MN GOP

NEW TONE: MOVEON.ORG PUTS OUT DESPERATE CALL TO ACTIVISTS TO COUNTER TEA PARTY RALLIES WITH ANGER

Andy Post — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:38:28 +0000

MoveOn.org’s organizers have a new tactic to rally their unmotivated base around the debt ceiling debate in Washington.

Here’s a copy of an email sent from MoveOn’s HQ to members, inciting anger, submitted by a dedicated reader of Minnesota Democrats Exposed:

—

Dear MoveOn member,

How angry are you at Congress right now? Tea partiers hijacked the debt ceiling deal—threatening to crash our economy to protect tax breaks for the wealthiest 1%—and most Democrats caved to their demands.¹

With Congress home for the summer starting next week, this is our opportunity to show how angry we are. The media and Washington insiders will be watching closely to see how voters are responding to the debt deal. This is the perfect time for us to turn up the heat, and turn the focus to what it will take to rebuild the American Dream.

We need to show Congress that we’re sick of the cuts, and we want them to concentrate on creating jobs. That’s why we’re joining with partners in the American Dream movement to hold “Jobs Not Cuts” events at district offices nationwide.

We’ll gather at congressional offices and turn our anger into energy for real solutions on jobs.

Yes, I can help organize a “Jobs Not Cuts” event.

Reuters reported yesterday, “Thousands of Tea Party movement activists are expected to descend this month on town hall meetings across key battleground states as part of an intensifying campaign ahead of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections.”² If we want to shift the battle lines to the left and work for real progress we need to be bigger, louder, and stronger.

—

MoveOn even highlights democrats in Congress that failed to stick with their ideas, further driving a wedge between the White House and the far fringes of the out-of-touch liberal intelligentsia.

Similar protests have already begun around the country with varying success.

Tags: Barack Obama

VAN JONES’ MOVEON.ORG FIRES UP ‘DREAM’ MACHINE IN MN ‘GRASSROOTS’ MEETINGS TO OPPOSE CUTS

Andy Post — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:04:44 +0000

Dedicated readers of Minnesota Democrats Exposed received special invitations to MoveOn.org’s “American Dream” meetings across Minnesota in the coming days and weeks, organized by fired White House political hack Van Jones. Here’s a copy of part of the invite:

Dear XXX,

I’m Van Jones, and last week, I joined with MoveOn to launch Rebuild the Dream. This big new project is dedicated to creating an economy that works for ALL of us—and to stopping the attacks on the middle class and working Americans.

Since we launched last week, the question folks keep asking me is: “Why are you talking about the American Dream? Didn’t we all give up on that a long time ago?”

Sadly, they’re right. Too many of us have stopped talking about our dreams—stopped thinking in terms of what we’re really capable of achieving in this country. I believe that’s actually part of the problem.

That’s why I am so excited to invite you to take part in the next step in building the American Dream movement. On July 16 and 17 people in neighborhoods across the country are gathering at more than 900 American Dream house meetings to share our stories, express our hopes, hone our best ideas, and craft a plan for working together to fix our broken economy.

There’s a meeting in Duluth on Sunday, Jul. 17, 2011, at 4:00 PM. Can you join in?

—-

President Obama pledged his allegiance to the agenda of MoveOn after voters overwhelmingly rejected his job as President in last fall’s elections. Van Jones was fired from his position within Obama’s administration for his involvement in political activity. Paul Bedard’s Washington Whispers blog covers the Van Jones project from a national perspective here:

An effective activist and environmental advocate, Jones was pushed from office when the heat from critics of his past statements became too much for the White House to handle. For example, in 2004, he signed a petition questioning if Bush officials allowed 9/11 to happen as a pretext for war.

His newest project calls for neighborhood meetings on July 16-17 to discuss how Americans can resurrect the American Dream. According to the MoveOn.org page, “We know we have the resources to create good jobs for millions of Americans if all of us pay our fair share in taxes. The problem is that millionaires and big corporations aren’t—that’s why we’re creating a powerful agenda to rebuild the American Dream. We’ll use the agenda to push Congress to make the American Dream a reality for all of us, not just corporations and the rich.”

Tags: Barack Obama, Uncategorized

DAYTON REMOVES HIMSELF FROM BUDGET IMPASSE, TRIES TO APPOINT PARTISAN ‘MEDIATOR’ TO BROKER A DEAL

Andy Post — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:27:00 +0000

Governor Dayton’s inability to lead reached a new low today when he suggested a professional mediator be hired to break the stalemate between him and House and Senate leaders during a press conference. Dayton seemed so frustrated with the slow progress of budget negotiations that he openly suggested “outside help” be brought in to clean up the mess he could not fix.

When asked for a suggestion of a possible “fair” mediator, Dayton named retired Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Lebedoff, whom has made campaign contributions to the following campaigns: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, President Barack Obama, and Mike Ciresi for Senate. MN State News wrote, “A review of campaign finance records shows that Lebedoff has made political contributions to the campaigns of Amy Klobuchar and Barack Obama. Additionally, at least one relative of Lebedoff was a major contributor to Dayton’s 2000 Senate campaign. Katie Tinucci, the governor’s press secretary, said Dayton ‘suggested Mr. Lebedoff as a possible mediator, but at this point, it was just a suggestion‘.”

Justice Lebedoff

Dayton seemed flustered after pulling the plug on allowing his Commissioners to appear before the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy meeting which Speaker Zellers and Maj. Leader Koch called to help move the fiscal impasse forward in a constructive and open forum. Dayton’s suggestion of a mediator was disturbing and reminiscent of his strong ties to labor.

GOP leaders told Dayton of their stance on the LCPFP meeting in a letter to him, saying:
“We would like information on plants to offset the loss of $1.8 billion in revenue in the Governor’s budget due to the recent change in the administration’s tax plan. Specifically, be prepared to discuss the legislature’s spending reductions the Governor will agree to, or new spending reduction proposals. On multiple occassions the Governor has indicated an interest in exempting small business from the effects (of) his tax increase plan. We are interested in knowing how this proposal changes revenue estimates for the administration’s budget, and what offsets are proposed to allow small businesses to keep more of their hard-earned money.“

Tags: 2010 Election, 2011 Session, AFSCME, Amy Klobuchar, Barack Obama, Checks and Balances, DFL, Mark Dayton, Mike Ciresi, YouTube

ELLISON TIES TO NATION OF ISLAM AND GADHAFI LOYALISTS AREN’T HARD TO SPOT

Andy Post — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 21:49:27 +0000

Congressman Keith Ellison (MN-5) has long struggled to convince his constituents and the media that his ties to the Nation of Islam are not relevant. For that matter, he has struggled to make the case that his ties aren’t alive and well through his affiliations with people like Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam.

Farrakhan made news last week when he publicly defended the actions of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, speaking from the same Nation of Islam headquarters in Chicago that Gadhafi helped finance 40 years ago. Gadhafi and Farrakhan have been allies for decades and Ellison has been a follower/supporter of Farrakhan since his youth. You may also remember the ties of Barack Obama to the Nation of Islam in the 1990′s.

The Nation of Islam and the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have suffered setbacks in their credibility department over the last few years. For instance, in 2009, the FBI announced it would cut all ties with CAIR after new evidence proved they were operating as a front group for terrorist organizations working in the United States. They also had funneled millions from groups in the U.S. to Hamas.

Campaign finance records from the FEC confirm that over the years, including the last election cycle, multiple leaders in CAIR’s organization structure have made thousands in contributions to Rep. Ellison. One such person is Chicago CAIR chapter Executive Director, Ahmed Rehab. Another is a professor from Florida (and CAIR supporter), Parvez Ahmed. Both of these entries on the FEC reports appear below. There are many others easily found throughout Ellison’s campaign reports.

2009-2010 Individual Donors to Ellison

Minnesota Democrats Exposed covered Ellison’s ties to the Nation of Islam closely during his first campaign for Congress in 2006, including photographic evidence (re-posted below) of Ellison’s involvement supporting Farrakhan in the 1990′s. The 2006 story also includes a copy of an editorial Ellison once authored, in which he calls Farrakhan a “role model”. Ellison spent much of the 2006 campaign trying to shake the idea of these questionable ties.

Tags: 2010 Governor, Alan Fine, Barack Obama, Keith Ellison, MDE, Uncategorized

TAX MONEY SPENT TO SPREAD PRESIDENT’S HEALTHCARE PROPAGANDA

Ryan Lyk — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:54:34 +0000

If someone were to search “ObamaCare” in Google, the first thing they would see is this:

Worst of all, this ad is paid for with your tax dollars.

Politico ran an article titled “HHS Buys Obamacare” where author Ben Smith exposed the federal government’s use of tax payer money to buy ad space on Google. Clicking the ad leads people to healthcare.gov, a site created and managed by the Obama administration.

None of us want to believe the government lies, but the Obama administration has had trouble selling the American people on healthcare. The President has also had trouble telling the truth about healthcare. Whether it was when he said people would not be mandated to buy health care or when he claimed that the AARP endorsed the bill to gain the support of seniors when they had not, he has presented false information. Perhaps Rep. Joe Wilson was right when he told Obama “You lie!”

Either way, if the facts presented by the President about healthcare are often wrong, maybe it is just better that the government let the people do their own research rather than using public dollars to promote a site of propaganda and drowning out dissenting sites.

Tags: Barack Obama, Healthcare, Uncategorized

IS MICHELE BACHMANN RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT?

Ryan Lyk — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 11:00:04 +0000

The answer might be yes.

In the 2009-2010 election cycle, Bachmann’s PAC, called M.I.C.H.E.L.E. (Many Individual Conservatives Helping Elect Leaders Everywhere), donated $31,000 total to candidates in Iowa, according to the Iowa campaign finance report for 2009-2010. Sarah Palin’s PAC gave less than half this amount to candidates in Iowa, a critical state for constructing a bid for the nation’s highest office. The same report shows Palin donating only $15,000.

Bachmann v. Palin PAC Donations in Iowa

Could this mean that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is planning to run for president in 2012?

Bachmann has gained notoriety within the conservative movement recently, especially this year when she created the Tea Party Caucus for members. Additionally, she has the ability to raise an incredible amount of money. Historically, she has out raised her colleagues, as well as many senators. Her 2010 race for re-election against Tarryl Clark became the most expensive race for Congress in the United States. She raised over $11 million for her 2010 bid, and still has nearly $2 million in the bank. In fact, her PAC contributed to candidates around the country through her donations to the NRCC, etc.

Bachmann Fundraising Report-OpenSecrets

Nothing has been announced yet, but we asked Bachmann’s office for comment:

“The Congresswoman certainly hasn’t ruled anything out in the future. As a former federal tax attorney, small business owner and a mother of five and foster mother of 23, she knows what is at stake in the next election. Right now, she is focused on fighting to give the American people back their healthcare by fully repealing Obamacare and fighting to make the tax cuts permanent.” (Andy Parrish, Chief of Staff)

Tags: 2012 Election, Barack Obama, Michele Bachmann

MUST SEE TV: “BIG BARACK SUPPORTER” CAN’T NAME ONE LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENT

Michael B. Brodkorb — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:51:11 +0000

This is an amazing video clip and it shows that Senator Obama’s campaign is all sizzle and no steak.

Tags: Barack Obama

MORE EXAMPLES OF OBAMA’S PLAGIARISM DISCOVERED

Michael B. Brodkorb — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:27:28 +0000

As I warned yesterday, this story has creating a feeding frenzy to find other instances of Obama lifting material. Another example has been found.

Remember, it is Obama's fellow Democrats who are making the charges of plagiarism and not Republicans.

Tags: Barack Obama

OBAMA CAMPAIGN ROCKED BY CHARGES OF PLAGIARISM BY FELLOW DEMOCRATS #2

Michael B. Brodkorb — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:36:19 +0000

It appears Senator Obama thinks he should have sourced Governor Patrick:

"'I'm sure I should have' given credit to Patrick." – Senator Barack Obama, The Politico, February 18, 2008

Click here for the complete post.

Remember, it is Obama’s fellow Democrats who are making the charges of plagiarism and not Republicans.

Tags: Barack Obama

BREAKING NEWS: OBAMA CAMPAIGN ROCKED BY CHARGES OF PLAGIARISM BY FELLOW DEMOCRATS

Michael B. Brodkorb — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:45:56 +0000

I wouldn’t normally post this video, but it was too delicious to pass up. I wonder what MN Publius (AKA MN Obama) thinks about Obama getting caught plagiarizing a speech?

This story will creating a feeding frenzy to find other instances of Obama lifting material. Remember, it is Obama’s fellow Democrats who are making the charges of plagiarism and not Republicans.

Tags: Barack Obama

WALZ FLIP-FLOPS ON OBAMA; WALZ PREVIOUSLY UNSURE IF OBAMA WAS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA #2

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:42:54 +0000

This post has folks fired-up and it warrants a follow-up post. Last year, Congressman Tim Walz made an interesting statement that he didn't know if Senator Barack Obama was a good candidate for southern Minnesota:

"Asked if [U.S. Senator Barack] Obama is a good candidate for southern Minnesota, Walz said, 'I don't know.'" Source: Rochester Post-Bulletin, January 23, 2007

I'm still curious as to why Walz didn't think Obama would be a good candidate for Southern Minnesota. Also, what has Obama done in the last year for Southern Minnesota for Walz to now support him? I really want folks to focus on Walz's answer to the questions asked. Walz said "I don't know." He couldn't come up with anything positive to say about why an Obama candidacy would be good for southern Minnesota.

What's changed in a year? It would appear that Walz is picking Obama because he won in Minnesota and not because he would be the best candidate. But once again, what has Obama done for Minnesota that would now make Walz support his candidacy?

Tags: Barack Obama, Tim Walz

WALZ FLIP-FLOPS ON OBAMA; WALZ PREVIOUSLY UNSURE IF OBAMA WAS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA

Michael B. Brodkorb — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:15:20 +0000

"WASHINGTON — Rep. Tim Walz has become the fourth U.S. House member from Minnesota to line up behind presidential contender Barack Obama, who carried the state handily in Tuesday's Democratic caucuses.

Walz, a freshman congressman from Mankato, cited Obama's overwhelming support in his southern Minnesota district in announcing his endorsement Wednesday. 'As a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention, I will honor their decision and support Senator Obama,' Walz said." Source: Star Tribune, February 6, 2008

Click here for the complete story.

###

Last year Walz made an interesting statement that he didn't know if Obama was a good candidate for southern Minnesota:

"Asked if [U.S. Senator Barack] Obama is a good candidate for southern Minnesota, Walz said, 'I don't know.'" Source: Rochester Post-Bulletin, January 23, 2007

I'm still curious as to why Walz didn't think Obama would be a good candidate for southern Minnesota.

UPDATE: Here's a follow-up question: what has Obama done in the last year for southern Minnesota for Walz to now support him?

Tags: Barack Obama, Tim Walz

MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “#1 LIBERAL SENATOR VISITS MINNESOTA TOMORROW”

Michael B. Brodkorb — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:46:26 +0000

St. Paul – Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today issued the following statement regarding Barack Obama’s visit to Minnesota.

"In spite of all the feel good rhetoric, Barack Obama fundamentally lacks the experience, leadership and accomplishments necessary to be commander in chief. Given his extreme partisanship, status as the candidate of MoveOn.org and his position as the nation’s most liberal senator, Minnesotans won't be fooled by Obama."

Tags: Barack Obama, MN GOP, Ron Carey